TEXAS HOLD 'EM DEFENSE, TOUGH PLAY WILL DEFINE CATS VS. PATS.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

HOUSTON - After a week at the center of incessant interviews, endless activities and ceaseless commercialism, the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots find themselves in pretty much the same position as their hosts at America's great corporate holiday.

Can the teams nobody really wants to see in a city nobody really wants to visit deliver a game that nobody will want to forget?

It's a Texas-sized order, perhaps, but if it happens it will be because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Which, in fact, neatly sums up the Patriots and Panthers.

Both teams arrived without any truly discernible stars, and owe their place in Super Bowl XXXVIII to the virtues of teamwork, hard-nosed defense and the ability to win tight games.

``One thing about New England is they have the same philosophy about football as we do,'' Carolina defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said. ``It's not anything like superstars going out and catching fancy passes. It's who will win the battle in the trenches.''

Most people expect that to be the Patriots. They enter the game as seven-point favorites and are on a 14-game winning streak, not having lost since September - the second-longest streak in NFL history behind the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins.

New England coach Bill Belichick is considered by most the best in the game. Their defense is the best, allowing a league-low 238 points, and quarterback Tom Brady is at his best when he needs to be.

Brady never has lost a playoff game, is 7-0 in his career in overtime and has driven the Patriots to game-winning field goals in three of his five playoff victories - including the 2002 Super Bowl.

Although New England is trying to win its second Super Bowl in three seasons, the Patriots say their approach isn't any different than two years ago, when they upset two-touchdown favorite St. Louis.

``We don't care about that,'' defensive end Willie McGinest (USC) said of the favorite's role. ``We leave that up to you guys. We are coming down here to do a job and handle business.''

While New England is in familiar territory, Carolina, under coach John Fox, is trying to complete one of the swiftest turnarounds in NFL history. When the Patriots were beating St. Louis two years ago, the Panthers were the worst team in football. They finished 1-15 and were last in total offense and total defense.

They've arrived on the sturdy legs of tailback Stephen Davis and a punishing defensive line some consider the best in football.

The Super Bowl experience has been new for many Carolina players. There are questions about how some of the younger, inexperienced Panthers - particularly quarterback Jake Delhomme - will react. Those are questions that won't be answered until today.

``It's still football,'' Carolina tight end Kris Mangum said. ``Our motto on our team is that everything gets bigger on the outside. That means outside of our dressing room and meeting room. It is still football when it comes down to it.''

The Panthers are counting on running the ball enough with Davis to control the clock, taking advantage of Pro Bowl punter Todd Sauerbrun to gain field position, and using their defensive line to push around a Patriots offensive line that is without its best player, injured guard Damian Woody.

In other words, what they've done all season.

Davis has rushed for 1,444 yards this season, and backup DeShaun Foster (UCLA) has played well in the playoffs, but the Patriots allowed just 89.5 rushing yards a game in the regular season - fourth best in the league.

``Running is the strength of their team. Stopping the run is one of the many strengths of our team,'' Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. ``It's going to be strength versus strength.''

One thing both teams have in common - and what's so critical with the parity in today's NFL - is the ability to win close games.

Carolina has seven victories by three points or fewer, and without its two last-second wins over Tampa Bay it wouldn't have been in the playoffs. New England has eight victories this season (including the playoffs) by a touchdown or less - three of them on the final play.

Both teams also have spent much of the week deflecting any individual credit, praising their teammates and opponents and generally running away from any question that looks back or jumps behind today's kickoff.

Reflection can wait until tonight.

``I don't think it's any put-on,'' Belichick said. ``That's just the way it is. The only thing we can control is the next practice, the next game. What happened in the past, and what could be going on in the future really is irrelevant.''

Not necessarily. If both teams play to their playoff form, it will be a low-scoring game. The Patriots - whose absence of a consistent running game has led to occasional red-zone troubles this season - scored just 41 points in their two playoff wins, while the Panthers had 34 in regulation of their final two playoff victories.

And often in Super Bowl history, a low-scoring game is one worth remembering - from the Colts beating the Cowboys on Jim O'Brien's last- second field goal to the 49ers beating the Bengals on Joe Montana's late drive to the Giants beating the Bills on Scott Norwood's last-second miss and the Patriots beating Rams on Adam Vinatieri's field goal on the final play.

This one will be, too. At least to somebody.

``There aren't a lot of well-known guys or a lot of stars on our team,'' Carolina linebacker Dan Morgan said. ``I don't think it's going to be a boring game. As far as people saying that, we're here. One of us is going to go home with a Super Bowl ring and hopefully it's us. After that it really doesn't matter.''

Billy Witz, [phone]

billy.witz(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 4 -- color) Super Bowl XXXVIII pits New England's Bill Belichick (left) and his stingy defense against Carolina's John Fox (right),

who will rely on running back Stephen Davis (inset) to wear down the Patriots.

Photos by Associated Press, Photo illustration by Mohammad Sanati

(5) Houston's Reliant Stadium will be ready for today's Super Bowl, but what kind of game it will host is much less certain.

Dave Martin/Associated Press

Box:

CAROLINA vs. NEW ENGLAND

- Compiled from Daily News Wire Services